Dan O'Connor - Four Year Strong (06/07/2011)
Four Year Strong are set to hit our shores later this year for the Soundwave Revolution festival. Dan O'Connor took some time out of polishing up their upcoming album to speak to The 59th Sound about tour Soundwave Tour plans, Fourth of July celebrations and what would happen if punk died.
Thanks Dan for taking time out to talk to The 59th Sound. First off, where’s the band at the moment?
Right now we are in New Jersey finishing off our new record.
Now, you’ve all done countless interviews I’m sure, so I’d hate for this to be just as nondescript as the rest. What’s one question you love to be asked?
Oh, man. Well the questions I get the most are what’s the new record going to sound like, and the next one would probably be what band am I most excited to see at Soundwave [Revolution]. I’m totally cool with answering those. The question that I would like to be asked… No one has asked me how my Fourth of July went yesterday.
How did your 4th July go yesterday?
It was good! I saw some fireworks, I ate some barbeque, I went out with a bunch of friends and family. It was a fun time; it was a good holiday. I haven’t been home for Fourth of July in six years so it was definitely like being back in high school again when I got to hang out at my friend’s house, set fireworks off, and sit on my parent’s back porch.
That sounds great. What’s a question you hate to be asked?
A question I hate to be asked would probably be “What is your wackiest tour memory.” I hate that question! Everyone asks what my wackiest tour story is and I’m like, I don’t know. Every day is pretty wacky you know what I mean? There’s no real story to go along with that question.
For those who are yet to discover the epic-ness of Four Year Strong, could you tell us some background information about the formation, members, and such?
Yeah, we started when we were all in High School. Jake [Massucco, drums] and Alan [Day, vocals and guitar] were about 13 and I think I was 16 years old and we just started playing some pop-punk music in high school. Once we got out of high school we met Joe [Weiss, bass] and basically started touring, and we’ve been touring like crazy for the past 6 or 7 years since we started taking off. We’ve only just recently lost a band member – we parted ways with our keyboard player Josh [Lyford]. We’re doing a new record right now and it’s going to be the coolest thing ever.
Now, I’m sorry to ask you because, as you said, I’m sure you’ve been asked a thousand times: on Facebook you said to “expect the unexpected” in terms of your new album. What do you have in store for the fans?
We really tried to push ourselves on this record, songwriting-wise, more than what we ever have before. On our last record, Enemy Of The World, we obviously grew a lot from the record before, from Rise or Die Trying. We also held back a little bit sometimes because we were kind of scared, you know, are people going to think this suits our band? On this record we were just kind of like, “Fuck it!” We’re not going to hold ourselves back at all. We’re going to do exactly what we think should be done. We all feel that these are some of the best songs we’ve ever written. A lot of it has to do with the fact that we came in on our last legs: we had been touring for months and months and months and we were kind of cabin-fever crazy. We got into the studio and we had been writing songs for the past year and we only came up with eleven. We came into the studio and played all these demos for the producer that we’re working with – David Bendith. I remember finishing all the songs and he just looks at us and he goes, “These are all shit.” And we were all like, cool! That’s a year’s worth of work down the drain.
It really opened our eyes and we obviously went through changes. As I said before we’ve been through some changes in the last couple of months and the band has definitely grown a lot. The members in the band that are still here – the four of us – are tighter and are having a better time with each other than we’ve had in a long time. And I think it is really coming through on the record. This has become not just a record but it became, not a rebirth, but [a chance] to put our best foot forward. In this last year we’ve all done a lot of growing up: I recently just got married and Joe bought a house and I think this record is a culmination of that. We’re different people to what we were when we put out first record and our second record, and we’re different people to what we were when we put out our last record. We really wanted to capture this time in our lives on this record.
You mentioned that you recently got married. Do you plan to have any kids, any mini Dan’s running around?
I’ll definitely have some kids at some point but I’m going to keep the kids out of the formula for a couple of years at least, so I still get to run around and be a kid. I want to be a teenager for a couple more years before I have too many responsibilities!
Fair enough! We know that Josh your keyboardist recently left the band. Has this had any effect on the album, in terms of content or the recording process?
I would say no, only because in the history of Four Year Strong it’s been up to Alan and myself to write the songs and then we’d bring them to the band and they’d learn them and record them; it’s just been like that. Even when Josh recorded keyboards a lot of the time; Alan and I were in the room writing the keyboard bits with him. We’re not really missing anything as far as content goes. The only difference is that with this record, as opposed to other records, we’re not spending any time on keyboards. Before it was like, “Okay, the record’s done, but now we need to find out the places where we can put the keyboard.” Now it’s kind of like, things are going where they fit and we don’t feel obligated to put anything in the songs because we need something for somebody to do.
So, a few months ago it was announced that you guys will be coming Down Under for Soundwave Revolution. You were also here for the Soundwave festival in 2010. What brings you back so soon?
It’s one of the most fun festivals we’ve been able to do around the world! The bands that are on Soundwave are always so diverse and so cool. It’s awesome just to play the shows but being able to be an attendee of some of these festivals is awesome. I remember last time we got to see Faith No More play and I’ve never been able to see them play before in my life. I got to see them play while we were in Australia, and now I get to play with Van Halen and Alice Cooper. That’s fucking crazy! I would never have thought that I would be able to say, “Oh yeah we’re Four Year Strong. We’re playing with Van Halen at a festival in Australia.” [I would’ve thought] someone was lying to my face.
It must be amazing! How do Australian audiences compare with those elsewhere?
One thing that I’ve noticed about Australian audiences is that you guys never have a tired point. Whenever we play shows there’s always a part in the set – it’s different in all different places – but usually in around the seventh or eight song you sense the crowd getting a little tired. Then when it’s three or four songs left in the show they get their energy back. Australians never loses their energy. They just stay crazy and pumped up for the whole fucking time and its crazy! It’s awesome, it’s so fun.
You know that could possibly be because we’re all on drugs.
That’s also a possibility! [laughs] I do understand that.
If you could choose, what’s the best concert or festival you’ve ever played at?
I’d say – probably because it’s the most recent but also because it was so cool – the last tour that we did with Rise Against and Bad Religion. We did a show in LA with The Descendants and that show was just so cool to play because, first of all, it’s kind of like playing with Van Halen. How can Four Year Strong’s name be on the same set-list as The Descendants, Bad Religion, and Rise Against? It’s just crazy. The show just has so many of these old punk musicians that I grew up idolising. The fifteen-year-old kid inside me was like, “Holy shit! Fucking Rancid is here!” And I was losing my brain with all of these old fucking punk muso’s here that created the music that I love. It was really fucking awesome. I mean honestly if somebody had dropped a bomb on that building, punk actually would have been dead; it would have been wiped out.
It was released that you were going to tour with Blink-182 around this time but it was postponed. Can you tell us why that is?
The tour got postponed because Blink had to finish up their record. They’re not done recording their record yet and they needed more time to do it so they couldn’t take the time out from the studio to come tour in the UK. They postponed it but from what we’ve heard from Mark [Hoppus, Blink-182], we’re still going to be on the tour when they have it and I think they’re going to have it around the same time next year.
Have you been able to listen to any of the album?
No, I haven’t been able to hear any songs yet. I’m eagerly awaiting it like everybody else!
Yeah we can’t wait! Now, you play guitar as well as sing. Can you tell us what would be your guitar brand of choice?
Gibson Les Paul has always been the guitar that I play. I recently have been dabbling in some Fender Telecaster a little bit but I think I’m a Gibson Les Paul guy.
Was singing your preference, or would you rather play guitar?
I am a guitar player at heart, definitely. I love singing and harmonising songs and stuff like that but when I just want to play music, I’m playing guitar. Guitar has always been the thing in my life that I love to do and if I had to choose between the two I would with out a doubt choose guitar.
Do you think the fans could hear more of your guitar playing in this or the next record?
Yeah! There’s a ton of guitar riffs all over this record and Alan and I are always riffing over songs. There’ll be my guitar all over the record that’s for sure.
As you said earlier, Four Year Strong has quite a busy year: You’ve toured with Rise Against, you’re recording album number 4, and you’re performing at festivals in Australia and Brazil later this year. Do you and the boys have any plans for 2012, apart from touring with Blink?
Basically the plan right now is just to tour like crazy and like madmen, like we do all the time. Our new record hopefully comes out – we don’t know exactly when but fingers crossed – end of September, early October. Probably around the time that we’re over in Australia hopefully. Once [the new album] drops we’re just going to be on the road all year. That’s what we do, you know what I mean? If you like our band you’re going to be able to see us at some point in 2012, sure.
To finish it off: Beards and Four Year Strong seem to go hand in hand. Is there a story behind that or do you guys just really like beards?
Well, the song One Step At A Time is about my brother passing away in 2004. I was in the hospital with him for about three weeks and I didn’t have any way to shave. When he passed away and the funeral stuff was happening, the hair on my face had grown so much I knew that if I shaved my face I was going to break out and have all these razor burns. So I decided to keep the beard and shape it and I’ve literally had it since then.
Wow.
That’s the way it worked out, yeah.
Well thanks again for talking to me today Dan. Have a good day (or night) in New Jersey and we can’t wait to hear the new album!
Thank you, thanks very much. Take care.
Four Year Strong will be in Australia for Soundwave Revolution. Tickets are on sale now.
Olivia Fusca
Thanks Dan for taking time out to talk to The 59th Sound. First off, where’s the band at the moment?
Right now we are in New Jersey finishing off our new record.
Now, you’ve all done countless interviews I’m sure, so I’d hate for this to be just as nondescript as the rest. What’s one question you love to be asked?
Oh, man. Well the questions I get the most are what’s the new record going to sound like, and the next one would probably be what band am I most excited to see at Soundwave [Revolution]. I’m totally cool with answering those. The question that I would like to be asked… No one has asked me how my Fourth of July went yesterday.
How did your 4th July go yesterday?
It was good! I saw some fireworks, I ate some barbeque, I went out with a bunch of friends and family. It was a fun time; it was a good holiday. I haven’t been home for Fourth of July in six years so it was definitely like being back in high school again when I got to hang out at my friend’s house, set fireworks off, and sit on my parent’s back porch.
That sounds great. What’s a question you hate to be asked?
A question I hate to be asked would probably be “What is your wackiest tour memory.” I hate that question! Everyone asks what my wackiest tour story is and I’m like, I don’t know. Every day is pretty wacky you know what I mean? There’s no real story to go along with that question.
For those who are yet to discover the epic-ness of Four Year Strong, could you tell us some background information about the formation, members, and such?
Yeah, we started when we were all in High School. Jake [Massucco, drums] and Alan [Day, vocals and guitar] were about 13 and I think I was 16 years old and we just started playing some pop-punk music in high school. Once we got out of high school we met Joe [Weiss, bass] and basically started touring, and we’ve been touring like crazy for the past 6 or 7 years since we started taking off. We’ve only just recently lost a band member – we parted ways with our keyboard player Josh [Lyford]. We’re doing a new record right now and it’s going to be the coolest thing ever.
Now, I’m sorry to ask you because, as you said, I’m sure you’ve been asked a thousand times: on Facebook you said to “expect the unexpected” in terms of your new album. What do you have in store for the fans?
We really tried to push ourselves on this record, songwriting-wise, more than what we ever have before. On our last record, Enemy Of The World, we obviously grew a lot from the record before, from Rise or Die Trying. We also held back a little bit sometimes because we were kind of scared, you know, are people going to think this suits our band? On this record we were just kind of like, “Fuck it!” We’re not going to hold ourselves back at all. We’re going to do exactly what we think should be done. We all feel that these are some of the best songs we’ve ever written. A lot of it has to do with the fact that we came in on our last legs: we had been touring for months and months and months and we were kind of cabin-fever crazy. We got into the studio and we had been writing songs for the past year and we only came up with eleven. We came into the studio and played all these demos for the producer that we’re working with – David Bendith. I remember finishing all the songs and he just looks at us and he goes, “These are all shit.” And we were all like, cool! That’s a year’s worth of work down the drain.
It really opened our eyes and we obviously went through changes. As I said before we’ve been through some changes in the last couple of months and the band has definitely grown a lot. The members in the band that are still here – the four of us – are tighter and are having a better time with each other than we’ve had in a long time. And I think it is really coming through on the record. This has become not just a record but it became, not a rebirth, but [a chance] to put our best foot forward. In this last year we’ve all done a lot of growing up: I recently just got married and Joe bought a house and I think this record is a culmination of that. We’re different people to what we were when we put out first record and our second record, and we’re different people to what we were when we put out our last record. We really wanted to capture this time in our lives on this record.
You mentioned that you recently got married. Do you plan to have any kids, any mini Dan’s running around?
I’ll definitely have some kids at some point but I’m going to keep the kids out of the formula for a couple of years at least, so I still get to run around and be a kid. I want to be a teenager for a couple more years before I have too many responsibilities!
Fair enough! We know that Josh your keyboardist recently left the band. Has this had any effect on the album, in terms of content or the recording process?
I would say no, only because in the history of Four Year Strong it’s been up to Alan and myself to write the songs and then we’d bring them to the band and they’d learn them and record them; it’s just been like that. Even when Josh recorded keyboards a lot of the time; Alan and I were in the room writing the keyboard bits with him. We’re not really missing anything as far as content goes. The only difference is that with this record, as opposed to other records, we’re not spending any time on keyboards. Before it was like, “Okay, the record’s done, but now we need to find out the places where we can put the keyboard.” Now it’s kind of like, things are going where they fit and we don’t feel obligated to put anything in the songs because we need something for somebody to do.
So, a few months ago it was announced that you guys will be coming Down Under for Soundwave Revolution. You were also here for the Soundwave festival in 2010. What brings you back so soon?
It’s one of the most fun festivals we’ve been able to do around the world! The bands that are on Soundwave are always so diverse and so cool. It’s awesome just to play the shows but being able to be an attendee of some of these festivals is awesome. I remember last time we got to see Faith No More play and I’ve never been able to see them play before in my life. I got to see them play while we were in Australia, and now I get to play with Van Halen and Alice Cooper. That’s fucking crazy! I would never have thought that I would be able to say, “Oh yeah we’re Four Year Strong. We’re playing with Van Halen at a festival in Australia.” [I would’ve thought] someone was lying to my face.
It must be amazing! How do Australian audiences compare with those elsewhere?
One thing that I’ve noticed about Australian audiences is that you guys never have a tired point. Whenever we play shows there’s always a part in the set – it’s different in all different places – but usually in around the seventh or eight song you sense the crowd getting a little tired. Then when it’s three or four songs left in the show they get their energy back. Australians never loses their energy. They just stay crazy and pumped up for the whole fucking time and its crazy! It’s awesome, it’s so fun.
You know that could possibly be because we’re all on drugs.
That’s also a possibility! [laughs] I do understand that.
If you could choose, what’s the best concert or festival you’ve ever played at?
I’d say – probably because it’s the most recent but also because it was so cool – the last tour that we did with Rise Against and Bad Religion. We did a show in LA with The Descendants and that show was just so cool to play because, first of all, it’s kind of like playing with Van Halen. How can Four Year Strong’s name be on the same set-list as The Descendants, Bad Religion, and Rise Against? It’s just crazy. The show just has so many of these old punk musicians that I grew up idolising. The fifteen-year-old kid inside me was like, “Holy shit! Fucking Rancid is here!” And I was losing my brain with all of these old fucking punk muso’s here that created the music that I love. It was really fucking awesome. I mean honestly if somebody had dropped a bomb on that building, punk actually would have been dead; it would have been wiped out.
It was released that you were going to tour with Blink-182 around this time but it was postponed. Can you tell us why that is?
The tour got postponed because Blink had to finish up their record. They’re not done recording their record yet and they needed more time to do it so they couldn’t take the time out from the studio to come tour in the UK. They postponed it but from what we’ve heard from Mark [Hoppus, Blink-182], we’re still going to be on the tour when they have it and I think they’re going to have it around the same time next year.
Have you been able to listen to any of the album?
No, I haven’t been able to hear any songs yet. I’m eagerly awaiting it like everybody else!
Yeah we can’t wait! Now, you play guitar as well as sing. Can you tell us what would be your guitar brand of choice?
Gibson Les Paul has always been the guitar that I play. I recently have been dabbling in some Fender Telecaster a little bit but I think I’m a Gibson Les Paul guy.
Was singing your preference, or would you rather play guitar?
I am a guitar player at heart, definitely. I love singing and harmonising songs and stuff like that but when I just want to play music, I’m playing guitar. Guitar has always been the thing in my life that I love to do and if I had to choose between the two I would with out a doubt choose guitar.
Do you think the fans could hear more of your guitar playing in this or the next record?
Yeah! There’s a ton of guitar riffs all over this record and Alan and I are always riffing over songs. There’ll be my guitar all over the record that’s for sure.
As you said earlier, Four Year Strong has quite a busy year: You’ve toured with Rise Against, you’re recording album number 4, and you’re performing at festivals in Australia and Brazil later this year. Do you and the boys have any plans for 2012, apart from touring with Blink?
Basically the plan right now is just to tour like crazy and like madmen, like we do all the time. Our new record hopefully comes out – we don’t know exactly when but fingers crossed – end of September, early October. Probably around the time that we’re over in Australia hopefully. Once [the new album] drops we’re just going to be on the road all year. That’s what we do, you know what I mean? If you like our band you’re going to be able to see us at some point in 2012, sure.
To finish it off: Beards and Four Year Strong seem to go hand in hand. Is there a story behind that or do you guys just really like beards?
Well, the song One Step At A Time is about my brother passing away in 2004. I was in the hospital with him for about three weeks and I didn’t have any way to shave. When he passed away and the funeral stuff was happening, the hair on my face had grown so much I knew that if I shaved my face I was going to break out and have all these razor burns. So I decided to keep the beard and shape it and I’ve literally had it since then.
Wow.
That’s the way it worked out, yeah.
Well thanks again for talking to me today Dan. Have a good day (or night) in New Jersey and we can’t wait to hear the new album!
Thank you, thanks very much. Take care.
Four Year Strong will be in Australia for Soundwave Revolution. Tickets are on sale now.
Olivia Fusca